Our little bundle of joy @Shomchungvar

My dear son, you may read my blog someday and it occurred to me today that I need to tell you how much you are loved, adored and appreciated by us both and more so by your Creator. Here is a picture of your daddy dressing you up after your bath. He loved everything about you...your yawning, your smile and your little acts of naughtiness (already so evident at 8 months). He would kept saying he loved you to death. He comes home tired from work but would always find the strength and energy to carry you, bath you and play with you. You would greet him with a light 'HEAD BUTTING'. He loved both of us dearly...He is as perfect a daddy as he is a good husband. We are both so fortunate to have him. Your daddy and I dreads your vaccination day and it pains us more to see you cry uncontrollably. Whenever you are sick (usually stomach related) it hurts your dad more. He makes sure you have the best food ( you loved expensive apples),the best diaper, cloths and toys ...& that all your needs are met.

The Problem with Things (Shepherd Press)

We are often surprised when our children become unhappy with their toys. It is easy to forget that toys are merely things, material things. In this sense we are often like our children. We are surprised when things don’t make us happy.

The miscalculation of this age, of any age, is to look for hope without looking for God. A culture rich with material things is a culture that will be dominated by bitterness and disappointment. Why? Because things never satisfy. Ultimately, they will always disappoint. Your children can have a closet full of toys. You can have more things than you imagined. The result is the same. When you live for material things you measure happiness by what you can see, taste, and hold. When this happens disappointment is not far behind.

Without the life-changing power of Christ and his gospel, life will disappoint. In the end, someone will say – it doesn’t matter.

The Holy Spirit uses the words of our Savior to speak to a materialistic culture. Jesus taught that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Luke 12

When you or your children become disappointed with things or with other people, you have lost sight what has value. You have lost sight of bringing honor to God. You have made the error of thinking that things are to be used for your pleasure rather than for God’s honor. This is true whether you talking about your children’s toys or the new appliance you just bought for your home. Can a toy or appliance be a good thing? Of course, as long as it is pursed with bringing honor to God in the way you use it.

For the Christian all things matter, because all that you do is be done for the glory and honor of God. This life of material things is not all that there is. Things will not lead to happiness, but to disappointment. It is the gospel that matters. The gospel matters because it transforms your ability to distinguish between things of value and things that only pretend to offer value.

The gospel matters because there is only one Person who will not disappoint you – his name is Jesus.

Fighting Peer Pressure By Jay Younts at Shepherd Press | July 18, 2015

The narrative of King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab in 2 Chronicles 18 provides insight into the dynamics of peer pressure. When you or your children yield to peer pressure you are, in effect, dividing your loyalties between God and man. This double-mindedness simply does not work. It results in decision making that is foolish. Many sins that young people become entangled with begin when they yield to peer pressure. This story of King Jehoshaphat demonstrates that young people are not the only ones susceptible to this problem.


Jehoshaphat should have realized that forming an alliance with Ahab was extremely unwise, even stupid! When Jehoshaphat declared allegiance to Ahab he became more concerned with pleasing Ahab than pleasing God. To illustrate this we see that despite a clear warning from God from the Prophet Micaiah, Ahab rejects God’s word and Jehoshaphat follows Ahab rather than God.

Ahab acknowledges that Micaiah is God’s spokesman. Ahab has no concern that the word of God has been spoken. Micaiah then goes on to say just how God intended to bring about defeat for Ahab. Jehoshaphat heard all this, and yet, having done the religious thing by checking with a true prophet, he still maintains his loyalty to Ahab over against God.


In one of the more stunning events in Scripture, verse 28 in this chapter records the actions of Ahab and Jehoshaphat in response to Micaiah’s prophesy.


“So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.”

After hearing from God, both men chose to ignore him. Ahab did so because he hated God and his ways. Jehoshaphat did so because he did not want to offend Ahab. To be sure, this is a case of misguided judgment. It gets worse. Ahab tells Jehoshaphat his plan. Ahab will dress like a common soldier and Jehoshaphat will wear the robes of a king into battle so that Ahab won’t be attacked and Jehoshaphat will. To this, Jehoshaphat, in effect, says, okay I’m good with that and proceeds to go into battle wearing his royal robes.

This judgment is not only flawed, it is disastrous. Yet Jehoshaphat follows Ahab’s plan. Thus we see that divided loyalty is not really divided, it is following the ways of the enemy. This is the real danger of following peer pressure.

In this instance, God is merciful to Jehoshaphat and spares his life despite his stupidity. This narrative is a powerful illustration of what happens when pleasing people becomes the most important thing. It is easy to think – how could Jehoshaphat have acted so foolishly??? But this is what happens to you and me, to everyone when people become more important to us than God.

This is a story you can tell to your children when they are young and refer to again and again as they grow older. There is a straightforward warning here: it is amazing how foolish we can be when we lose sight of loving God and try to please people instead.

Praise you in the storm

I have been mulling the whole day over what to write on my blog. There have been so much happening in my life lately and so much I would like to remember over the years. And yes, so many things to thank God for seeing me through each trials. There were also major avalanches in my life and at one point of time I thought everything was over, whatever I stood for and aspire to be. However, like everything else in life, bad times too comes with expiry dates, they are temporary and do not last forever.

The experiences left me something valuable, it did teach me important lessons that I will cherish all the days of my life. It was like a winnowing excercises where God helped me in reshuffling my identity, sorting out my priorities and impart me the wisdom to realise those who really cared from those who pretend to. I had always been complacent and trusted rather too easily.The major jolt was what I needed to put my life into proper perspective.

I have always been the indecisive type. I usually take into account too many things and too many peoples opinion that I usually end up unhappy about my decisions. In short, I end up not know what I really want or what really mattered to me.

There was one such instance in which I went by the 'white flag' method os resolving a conflict, which did not worked very well in my favor. It was a decent and fair way to end a pending relation, I thought, but it backfired miserably. But the term 'fair' is a subjective word and can be interpreted in myriad of ways. The method I choose also gave lots of scope for the opponent (who might not necessarily like to play fair) to carve out space to try and defame me. It was too late for me when I realise the world had changed. It was no longer interested in what actually happened, but in presentation and self-portrayal.The truth didn't seem important to anyone. They love to be on the side of someone that matters to the masses (everybody loves a hero, even if they are the self-proclaimed ones). Many of my (old) friends changes side, pin-point my weaknesses, magnify the grievances they ever had and said 'they expect nothing better from me'. This I think, was the most hurtful/painful of this chapter. I had been friends with many of them for a many good years of my life, sharing joys and pains. However, imperfect I was, I wish they had the courage to inform me as a friend during those years and not pawn me away just to gain connection (the first chance they get). E-mails were send to everyone connected with me (my friends, strangers in Facebook, my colleagues, my students, my family) to defame me in the worst possible manner. For a while, I did not know what to do about it, I was too shock and too numb to think. I was depressed for months and distanced myself from others. Strategies were discussed on how to handle the issue (beat him up, report to police or GSCASH etc.) but they did not seem to appeal to me.No matter what, I did not want it to get the better of me or end up doing something I will regret many years from now. I told myself, should not let what has happened define me. I cannot control what had happened or what people can do or say about me, but I can definitely control how I deal with it and how much of it I allow to affect or impact my life and future.

Looking back at that peculiar episode of my life, I have no regrets, on all my decisions including how I dealt with the problem. I did have a lot of helping hands from God above, mentors, dutiful friends who stood by me beside a certain wonderful person who gave me the strength to face it all. And for this wonderful person I am referring to, I would not have been able to see his strength of character or his level of commitment to me if all these had not happen. Sometimes a wrong turn (path chosen) leads you to the right person. I do not know what the future hold, but I do believe someone like him who have accepted me at my odds would be brave enough to face any storms. I am extremely grateful for my friends who stood by me, with me and for me when my knees were literally shaking to face the world that was condemning me. The storm subsided once I had the courage to walk on it with them encouraging me. In a way they all saved my life.

My Passion Week

Dear God,
Today is Palm Sunday and I confess I wasn’t able to go for church service. I thought I had to find a way to remind myself of this special day and used it to re-connect to you as lately I had been shying away from my time with you. So, I surfed the internet for movies and I got, ‘Passion of the Christ’ made by Mel Gibson in the site eBiblemovies. Com. I told myself, ‘if God could use the donkey to speak to the stubborn Balaam in the old-testament, He could use this movie to speak to me’. I cried and cried watching the movie. I had forgotten this exercise of expressing my emotions for a long time. I am glad I got it back because it made me humane and alive again.

Dear Lord, I know you are the Sovereign Lord, the Great God Yahweh, the Rock and the comforter, while I am just a mere insignificant mortal. If a Holy man like John the Baptist said that he was not fit to untie your sandals, then I am at loss for words to describe myself in front of you. Yet I know that you love me unconditionally, in a way no one can love me and love me enough to sacrifice your life for me on the cross of Calvary. I have so many questions to put to you after watching the scenes in the movie. Would you consider this as a child asking her father to clarify her doubts because no one else can answer her better than Him?

The same crowd that shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’, were the ones to cry out aloud, ‘crucify him’ after a few days and as your disciples ran away for dear life. It is so easy to go with the flow and to follow the dictates of the world rather than listening to that gentle ‘tug of the heart’ by the Holy Spirit. You knew this before it happened; you knew that all your disciples will reject you eventually. And you also knew that Peter would deny you three times before the cock crows though he promised to stand by your side till the end (Mark 14:27).Human minds are so fickle and untrustworthy. We give you up so easily when following you requires sacrifices on our part and to get out of our ‘comfort zones’. My question is—how can you still have hope in the human race when we fail you over and over again? How could you still not give up on me when I fail you or deny you or brush away opportunities to serve you many times a day?

The lure of the world for money, greed and power was evident in the life of Judas Iscariot and the so-called High priest who persecute you. Judas traded you for a mere 30 pieces of silver. Obviously, though he had followed you around, he did not realise your worth—that all the money in the world and the world itself could not be traded for what you had to offer. Of course, even to this day, there are so many of us who are nominal Christians—who follow the faith just for the sake of it or because we were born into it. We pray and perform religious rituals without really understand the real meaning or the true greatness of the God that we are worshipping. We have become too lethargic to find time to find the truth. The high priests (religious dictators) were so jealous of you and the command that you have over the people. You gave us ‘love’ over what they gave us ‘laws and rules’. They went all the way to see to it that you get out of their way forever. Yet, in the end, you prayed for them (Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing—Luke, 23:34). Your words are always beautifully reflected in your life and you lived by your words till the very end (But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you—Matthew 5:44). You gave me a glimpse of heaven and eternity when you replied to Pilate, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.’ It brings to the imagination, the possibility of a world which is not corrupted—a paradise!

I cried aloud at the scene when you were beaten—each lashes were meant for my own sins—so that I can have a chance to attain salvation. You were mocked, beaten up and crucified to save a selfish person like me. Then, it made me think even though I cry now and condemned in my heart the people who chained and tortured their own saviour, if I could travel back in time to the moment, where would I be? Would I be like the members in the crowd who were unable to think on their own and went with the flow? Would I be like the disciples that deny you or the self-righteous Pharisees who crucify you? I like the scene when Simone of Cyrene helped you carry the cross. It made me think that this is what brothers and sisters in Christ ought to do. We each carry our own cross or burden in our walks of life. If we find a fellow-being too weak and bend-down by the weight of the cross, instead of taunting, throwing stones and making it worse for the person, we could always silently helped carry the burden by sharing it.

Coming back to the personalities in the book of the Gospel, I wonder if they were aware that they had the opportunity to play a role in the most important event of all history. Then, I realise that each battle I fought against the evil-forces, against the world and against my own desires are as important an event for you because it determine the kind of legacy that I leave to the world as your child. Can I ask you the most childish question? Dear Lord, you have the power to move heaven and earth and the universe and everything in it moved at your biddings. It is surprising to me as to why you did not use your power to act upon all those who had mocked and tortured you after your purpose was accomplished. I then realise, it is with the same mercy that you have overlooked my sins every day. That is the difference between You and me—You are the good shepherd who lay down His life for His sheep.

Thank you Lord for reminding me yet again that my life has a bigger purpose than what my eyes can see or what I do every day. Thank you for never giving up on me and finding ways to get to me even when I stray and for always reminding me that your love is never far away from me.

Re-visiting past sermons

I relocated to Hyderabad on march 2011. I remembered being overly excited about it for two reasons: the job in teaching and the weather that was suppose to suit my chronic 'proneness to the common cold'. But a new place also meant new set of problems. Now, in Delhi, I always had choices when it comes to church that I want to attend on a sunday. There were fellowships, talks and services conducted in many places to cater ones spiritual needs. In Hyderabad, the case is different(perhaps, eventually I will keep discovering them). I have to drive more than 37 Kms to join my own community in worship. I have tried in vain to find alternative churches for sundays in which I could not make the distance.

This whole experience has really weight down my prayer life and tampered my spiritual life. This sunday I thought I need to do something about it. I was at a stage of my life when I need to make so many decisions and take drastic steps of faith for my future. I need to feel God' presence and guidance more than ever. I have this many many little notebooks that I maintain over the years. I had penned down sermons and my own spiritual reflections in this books when I was more devouted. I made it a point to re-read all these sermons on those sundays in which I am not able to make it to the church.

This is a sermon by Dave Andrew, an Australian community Social worker. He spoke on the need to realise our true calling as christians. He says, our true calling is to, "restore God's reputation on earth".

Every time when there is a death in the family or in the community, where the death is a result of sickness (cancer or HIV/AIDS) or accidents, the first reaction from our so called church elders or spiritually mature people is to construe possible voices from God and explain or give every possible explanation of it. To add my own experience to this, I remember when my uncle's only son had died in an accident while leading the church youth in a fund rising activity for the church. A pastor (also a distant relative) came to the house in the evening after the funeral service was over. He stood up and walked about the house as if to receive some divine ordination from above. Then, he spoke about with great authority condemning the father (my uncle)that it was because of his sinful nature and drinking habits that God had taken his son away from him. Even if this was said with a concern for the spiritual welfare of the father, it was like rubbing salt to the wound and to add the pain of guilt to an already broken spirit. It was difficult for my uncle to take it and he sadly, slowly drank himself to death.

When God is so sovereign, why do we need to speak for him. He does use people like Moses and others in the Bible, but they were called and ordained by God to do so. This brings us to the next question: are we committed enough to hear the voices of God? God is a God of love, so merciful yet just. This is clearly reflected in the life of Jonah. The last chapter in the book of Jonah beautifully brings out the character of God as a compassionate and merciful God:

Jonah's anger at the Lord's Compassion
Jonah 4:1: "But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry." Jonah 4:2: "He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Jonah 4:3 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." Jonah 4:4: "The LORD said, 'Do you have good reason to be angry?" Jonah 4:5: "Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. Jonah 4:6-8: "So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life." Jonah 4:9: "Then God said to Jonah, 'Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?' And he said, 'I have good reason to be angry, even to death." Jonah 4:10-11: "Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight.Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

It is also a mistake to think we can hear clearly from God without spending time in the word. Knowing the written word protects you from deception. Listening for God's voice without being dedicated to spending time in the word on a regular basis opens you up to hearing voices that are not from God.

Everything Happens for a Reason

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there. They serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be: your roommate, your professor, your lover, a long lost friend or even a complete stranger who, when you locked eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you and at the time, they seemed horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realize your potential, strength and will power of the heart. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance. Illness, injury , love or loss moments, all occur to test the limits of the soul. Without these small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smooth, paved, straight, flat road to nowhere-safe and comfortable but utterly dull and pointless. The people you met at some points in your life who affect your life and successes and downfalls you experience, they are the ones who create who you are. The bad experiences provides the hardest lessons, and probably the most important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, learn to forgive them for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. If someone loves you, try to love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you but also because they teaching you to love and to the possibility of opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them. Make everyday count. Appreciate every moment and take from it, everything you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talked to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen, let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it. (Author Unknown)